The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 402 Ordinary Customers

With the implementation of the new pricing system and the full opening of reservation channels at New Easy Slow Travel, there are several ways to bypass the regular process and "cut in line" to enter the store:

The first path: Capital paves the way. Becoming a top member of Jiang's "Bai Ling Therapy Domain" requires paying exorbitant membership fees and often also exchanging resources to secure one of the limited daily slots.

The second path: Exceptional talent. Those certified as special geniuses by Yu Xiaoning and holding diagnostic certificates from authoritative medical institutions.

The third path: leveraging personal connections. Infiltrate the social circles of wealthy figures like Qian Mankun, Lao Zhou, the chubby receptionist's sisterhood, and Sister Hua, so they can directly approach Zhao Xiaochui. But even favors have their limits.

The fourth option: a special passage. Someone from a certain company or the portly receptionist Chen Guifen personally made arrangements.

The fifth path: professional endorsement. Obtain a recommendation from Lin Zhiyuan's medical circle.

During the "Deep Exploration" project collaboration, New Easy Slow Travel not only served research geniuses but also opened its experience channel to the medical circle controlled by Yu Xiaoning. These physicians are mostly associate chief physicians with rich clinical experience who have not been promoted due to shortcomings in research, and they have solid professional skills.

They hold valuable recommendation slots, which, though strictly limited, are deeply aware of their social value. They exercise these slots with extreme caution because they understand that these slots stem from EasySlow's trust in Yu Xiaoning and their recognition of their professional ethics; there is no exchange of benefits, and there have never been any requests for "extra beds" or "extra appointments."

The "Easy Walk" concept is purely designed to solve problems for those who genuinely need them. Therefore, customers recommended by the medical community typically spend very little at the clinic.

……

Chen Mingliang is 40 years old and works as an ancient book restorer at the city library. His wife is unemployed and stays at home, and his son is in high school, so they are struggling financially.

As dusk fell and the streetlights came on first, Chen Mingliang followed the flow of people into the legendary New Relaxing Walk.

Like him, many customers had received referrals from the doctor's group. The male-to-female ratio was roughly 1:2, and most were middle-aged. Everyone sat quietly in the spacious waiting area, carefully accepting the complimentary tea offered by the bright-eyed and beautiful young lady, and thanking her repeatedly.

The decor here might not be appealing to people like Jiang Ying and Ms. Foster, but it's quite an eye-opener for ordinary people like us.

These ordinary, honest, and law-abiding middle-aged people could say they've never been to such an occasion in their entire lives.

For them, Xinqingsongmanxing is still a place full of mystery. It caused quite a stir on the Internet some time ago, and they, as onlookers, know all about the details of this store.

The owner was an orphan, and most of the girls in the shop had worked their way up from the bottom. Privately, they often speculated that there was something dark about how these people had risen from humble beginnings.

Despite their relentless digging, Ugly Donkey and Ash Ridge couldn't uncover any real evidence. Their honesty and integrity didn't equate to stupidity; the rumored exorbitant service fee, in fact, made them realize something:

If you didn't have real skills, your reputation would have been ruined long ago.

Chen Mingliang touched the slightly crumpled recommendation letter in his pocket, which he had obtained through the old curator's request. It was handwritten by the deputy chief physician.

The expert's words still echoed in his ears: "Mr. Chen, conventional physical therapy has limited effect on your condition. Try the 'Easy Walking' treatment; perhaps it will offer a turning point." Ironically, as a true 80s generation, Chen Mingliang had always lived his life according to a set routine.

We were caught up in education reforms, enrollment expansion, and the era of guaranteed job placement.

He clearly passed the cutoff score for top-tier universities, yet he had to go to the same university as those who paid to buy their way into it; the government encouraged buying houses, so he gritted his teeth and took on a 30-year loan; the internet touted consumption upgrades, so he reluctantly bought a car on installment.

But no one ever told him how to cope when a midlife crisis comes.
He was truly exhausted, so exhausted that even his bones felt weak.

His wife thought he was being dramatic, his children thought he was faking illness, and his boss suspected he was making excuses...

The lab reports showing "no obvious abnormalities" and the diagnostic recommendations of "psychological counseling" made him seem like he was putting on a show of feigning illness.

As Chen Mingliang was lost in thought, he overheard the relaxed chatter of several women at the next table. Their symptoms were strikingly similar to his.

"Hey girl, what's wrong with you?" a haggard-looking woman asked the person next to her.

"Don't even mention it, I just feel weak all over, so tired, and I can't seem to recover no matter how much I sleep," the woman sighed. "I've been to the hospital several times, had my blood drawn, and even had an electrocardiogram, but the doctor just said, 'There's nothing seriously wrong, you might just be a little unwell, just need to rest.' But how can I not go to work? My child's tuition, my mortgage—can't wait any longer?"

"Me too! I'm a teacher, and I feel weak and dizzy even when I stand on the podium. I went to a top-tier hospital and got appointments with several specialists, but after all the tests, they said my indicators were normal. In the end, they gently suggested that I see a psychiatrist, saying it might be somatic symptoms caused by anxiety... What am I anxious about? I just feel physically uncomfortable!"

“It’s all the same,” the older woman waved her hand. “People think I’m being dramatic when they talk about my illness. My boss at work thinks I’m just trying to slack off. My family was concerned at first, but after a while they started to think I’m too much trouble.”

"Experts also recommend doing tiered brushing, even just five minutes of brushing is fine. But I actually brushed for five minutes, and besides a mouthful of blood, I didn't feel any pleasure at all!"

"Exercise..." Chen Mingliang repeated the word in a low voice, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. Experts had given him the same advice, and his approach was to take a five-minute walk every day. But what was the result? Every walk not only failed to bring him the pleasure of "endorphins," but also drained him of the last bit of energy. After returning home, he would collapse on the sofa, too lazy to even move his fingers.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Chen Mingliang shifted his gaze from the older woman he was talking to and looked towards the bustling massage parlor.

Coincidentally, the last few customers from the previous group were leaving.

He recognized several of the technicians as the girls who had recently become a hot topic online and had shared health knowledge with others. Seeing them in person, he found them even more beautiful and lively than on camera, and they were now patiently exchanging ideas with the trainee technicians beside them.

The departing guests all wore a relaxed smile of disbelief on their faces.

Some people subconsciously touched their stiff necks, while others supported their aching backs. They paused at the door for a moment, as if confirming something, before slowly letting go and disappearing outside with a light and unhurried gait.

This scene made Chen Mingliang's heart beat a little faster.

(End of this chapter)